Best 10 Productivity Tips: How To Find Your Productive Mindset
Nov 21 2021 | Shatara Hayden
With the way the world is now, so many things have changed. From dinning out to work environments and the concept of “being busy”. Luckily, for the most part, methods in which a person can become their most productive self has not. Here are 10 best productivity tips that helped me find my productive mindset:
Tip #1: Write It Down
Write everything down! I mean it. Everything! Whether it’s an idea or a task, every commitment should be written down. Think of this as a brain dump. You can then sift through and categorize things next. By doing this, you free up mental space and energy.
Tip #2: Get a Head Start
The best way to get a head is to start the night before. Look over your tasks, meetings, or other commitments before bed. You’ll have a better handle on what your day will look like. This will also allow you to make any necessary tweaks to your schedule in advance and should be done first. It means you waste no time in the morning trying to decide where to start. Tip #3: Do Things You Dread the Most First
Every one of us has at least one task on our to-do list that we absolutely hate doing. It could be an unpleasant phone call you don’t want to make, or that blog post you’ve been putting off writing because you don’t know where to start, or that project that is so massive it just overwhelms. By doing it first, you eliminate the distraction guilt of procrastination.
Tip #4: Eliminate Distractions
One of the major hinderance of productivity are constant distractions or interruptions: emails, phone calls, people appearing at your door…
But here’s the thing: you can control it. Time blocking! Schedule a block of time to focus on that commitment, and then turn off all distractions. Silence your phone. Silence your email alerts. Close your office door. This allows you to focus on getting that important task done. Tip #5: Take Breaks
There’s a limit to how long anybody can devote deep focus to a task.
No matter how busy you are, after a certain amount of time, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, and fatigue—physical and/or mental—starts to impair your effectiveness. Schedule breaks periodically even during the busiest days.
Tip #1: Write It Down
Write everything down! I mean it. Everything! Whether it’s an idea or a task, every commitment should be written down. Think of this as a brain dump. You can then sift through and categorize things next. By doing this, you free up mental space and energy.
Tip #2: Get a Head Start
The best way to get a head is to start the night before. Look over your tasks, meetings, or other commitments before bed. You’ll have a better handle on what your day will look like. This will also allow you to make any necessary tweaks to your schedule in advance and should be done first. It means you waste no time in the morning trying to decide where to start. Tip #3: Do Things You Dread the Most First
Every one of us has at least one task on our to-do list that we absolutely hate doing. It could be an unpleasant phone call you don’t want to make, or that blog post you’ve been putting off writing because you don’t know where to start, or that project that is so massive it just overwhelms. By doing it first, you eliminate the distraction guilt of procrastination.
Tip #4: Eliminate Distractions
One of the major hinderance of productivity are constant distractions or interruptions: emails, phone calls, people appearing at your door…
But here’s the thing: you can control it. Time blocking! Schedule a block of time to focus on that commitment, and then turn off all distractions. Silence your phone. Silence your email alerts. Close your office door. This allows you to focus on getting that important task done. Tip #5: Take Breaks
There’s a limit to how long anybody can devote deep focus to a task.
No matter how busy you are, after a certain amount of time, the law of diminishing returns kicks in, and fatigue—physical and/or mental—starts to impair your effectiveness. Schedule breaks periodically even during the busiest days.
Tip #6: Batch Like Task Together
If your day includes routine task, try grouping similar tasks and schedule certain times during the day. By batching similar tasks, you save the time lost to ramping up multiple times a day and reap the benefits of momentum.
Tip #7: Have a Healthy Breakfast
Every doctor and health guru can all agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A well-balanced breakfast fuels your mind and body for a great productive day. The key is “well-balanced”. So, a coffee and donut while you wait for the bus or train doesn’t count. Nor does the fast-food drive in!
Tip #8: Get Moving!
I’m not trying to pound this into your head, but healthy people are more productive and exercising makes a person healthier. You don’t have to do much, and you don’t need some expensive gym membership. A walk around the block during lunch or taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator helps.
Tip #9: Delegate
Evaluate that to-do list carefully. What tasks could someone else do, thereby freeing you up to focus on the things only you can do?
An important key to productivity is doing only those things that only you can do and giving somebody else the opportunity to contribute by doing those other tasks.
Tip #10: Say No
Is your calendar jam packed? Have you taken on tasks that don’t matter to you or your work? If your to-do list is miles long, take ten minutes or so to look at each item with a careful eye. See what can be crossed off.
So, when someone calls or stops by your office with a request for your participation in some activity, take a breath and consider whether it fits into your own priorities. If not, you can politely decline without feeling guilty.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, we are responsible for our own productivity levels. These tips and the Ultimate Focused Life Planner have help me take control over my life and my productivity. Sign up below if you are interested in accessing your free planner library!
If your day includes routine task, try grouping similar tasks and schedule certain times during the day. By batching similar tasks, you save the time lost to ramping up multiple times a day and reap the benefits of momentum.
Tip #7: Have a Healthy Breakfast
Every doctor and health guru can all agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A well-balanced breakfast fuels your mind and body for a great productive day. The key is “well-balanced”. So, a coffee and donut while you wait for the bus or train doesn’t count. Nor does the fast-food drive in!
Tip #8: Get Moving!
I’m not trying to pound this into your head, but healthy people are more productive and exercising makes a person healthier. You don’t have to do much, and you don’t need some expensive gym membership. A walk around the block during lunch or taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator helps.
Tip #9: Delegate
Evaluate that to-do list carefully. What tasks could someone else do, thereby freeing you up to focus on the things only you can do?
An important key to productivity is doing only those things that only you can do and giving somebody else the opportunity to contribute by doing those other tasks.
Tip #10: Say No
Is your calendar jam packed? Have you taken on tasks that don’t matter to you or your work? If your to-do list is miles long, take ten minutes or so to look at each item with a careful eye. See what can be crossed off.
So, when someone calls or stops by your office with a request for your participation in some activity, take a breath and consider whether it fits into your own priorities. If not, you can politely decline without feeling guilty.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, we are responsible for our own productivity levels. These tips and the Ultimate Focused Life Planner have help me take control over my life and my productivity. Sign up below if you are interested in accessing your free planner library!